The Research Information Gateway

A tool to link research, expertise, and surveillance for One Health in Africa

EcoHealth Alliance

2024-09-04

Outline


  • Purpose

  • Structure and interface

  • Technology

  • Use cases

Research Information Gateway


  • Prototype database designed as new module for Africa CDC Knowledge Hub

  • A detailed, searchable, and visual database of One Health research projects

  • Directory of subject matter experts for public health practitioners

  • Visual and functional dashboard and interfaces for ease of use

Research Information Gateway in a One Health Community of Practice


CoP goals and functions

  • Link subject matter experts with surveillance

  • Share resources in outbreak response

  • Improved awareness of research activities

  • Informed strategic research agenda planning

Enabling technology

  • Searchable, up-to-date directory of researchers

  • Track on-the-ground capacity

  • Map ongoing research and surveillance projects

  • Analyse gaps and priorities in current research

A One Health Scope


  • A focus on zoonotic diseases based on Africa CDC’s Framework for One Health Practice in National Public Health Institutes (2020), and Event Based Surveillance Framework (2018)

    • Activities, Researchers, and Topics that are

    • Related to zoonotic disease: infectious diseases that can be spread between animals and humans; can be spread by food, water, fomites or vectors

    • In or related to African countries

Data sources and flow


flowchart LR
  input1(["Research Funder\nand\nInstitution data"])

  input2(["Web\nscraping"])

  input3(["Literature\nSearch"])
  
  input4(["Expert Surveys\n(planned)"])

  action[/"Curation\nCross-linking\nValidation"/]
    
  output1[("On-the-ground\nactivities")]
  
  output2[("Experts\nand\nresearchers")]
  
  output3[("Funders")]

  input1 ==> action
  input2 ==> action
  input3 ==> action
  input4 ==> action
  action ==> output1
  action ==> output2
  action ==> output3

Development pathway


flowchart TD

airtable[Airtable]
airtable_interface[/Airtable Interfaces/]
dolt[dolt]
dolthub[dolthub]
khub("Knowledge\nHub")
dashboard(Dashboard)
research("Research\nworkflow")
api[/API/]

airtable --> dolt -->|powers|dolthub
airtable -->|feeds|airtable_interface
dolthub <--> api <--> khub
dolthub <--> api <--> dashboard
dolthub <--> api <--> research

Development updates


  • Africa CDC colleagues are integrating the database to the Knowledge Hub

  • Updating database with new sources and funders then will add activities and researchers

    • search for funders led to Pandemic PACT initiative - lots of overlap with database and has more records (9000+)

  • Streamlining of fields in the main tables for Activities and Researchers